The Act (musical)

The Act
Original Cast Recording
Music	John Kander
Lyrics	Fred Ebb
Book	George Furth
Productions	1977 Chicago 1977 San Francisco 1977 Los Angeles 1977 Broadway

The Act is a musical with a book by George Furth, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and music by John Kander.

It was written to showcase the talents of Kander and Ebb favorite Liza Minnelli, who portrayed Michelle Craig, a fading film star attempting a comeback as a Las Vegas singer. The musical premiered on Broadway in 1977.

Originally titled, Shine It On, The Act played out-of-town tryouts for 15 weeks in Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. The musical opened on Broadway on October 29, 1977 at the Majestic Theatre, where it ran for 233 performances and six previews.

Directed by Martin Scorsese, choreographed by Ron Lewis, with costumes by Halston, the cast included Barry Nelson, Mark Goddard and Wayne Cilento.The New York Times reported that "director Gower Champion quietly came in to doctor the show during its final month in Los Angeles."

The New York Times reviewer wrote that "The Act is precisely what its name implies: It is an act, and a splendid one. On the other hand, it is a little less than its pretensions imply. Theatrical though it is as a performance, it is indifferent musical theater." Another New York Times writer noted that "If there's a point 'The Act' underscores most, it's that Miss Minnelli on Broadway has incomparable star power."

With an all-time ticket-price high of $25 for Saturday night orchestra seats, The Act had $2 million in advance sales,then the highest in Broadway history. But the production was doomed from the start, with its star in erratic behavior and frequently missed performances, more than 10% of the entire run. During out-of-town tryouts, Gower Champion was called to help with the staging (but took no directorial credit). Additionally, the original costumes were replaced. With the additional costs and with refund demands running high, it was impossible for the show to recoup its costs.